Even though I’m the editor, I was comissioned to write an article for the up and coming “premiere” issue of the MX Developers Journal. Been working my arse off after work, combined with school homework, with a bunch of talented writers to make it a fantastic issue, …really! I wish they had this stuff back in Flash MX; would of been a great timesaver.
At any rate, in the timeframe allotted which is eerily similiar to the Publishing Industries crack-smoking notion of timeframes for written works (which I guess they assume has no bearing on quality, and keep in mind I don’t have extensive experience, so it’s subjective in that regard), I managed to go all over the map when I started. Imagine that.
So, in my own re-assessment with a few industry peers to look it over, I’ve found I need to focus more on just one topic, better organize some parts, and extend a few more once I add my example Flash file. So, because of the first part, I’ve removed the entire first section which was about 2 1/2 pages of the 14 page article (Verdana 10pt – not the style for the mag, mind you), and decided to place it here in hopes someone gains benefit from it.
The article is about taking a complex, artistic design a designer has made for you, a completed “comp” (composition) and implementing it into Flash using advanced ActionScript programmers are used to using. It’s a hybrid approach of timeline and OOP which RAD (Rapid Application Developement) people will love, and sales will adore in knowing that the impossible is possible.
However, this part is about the process leading up to actual implementation. In going to school for leadership and management, I am constantly viewing the world in different glasses lately, so am focused on processes, and making them better to help better facilitate a better quality product for the customer. Naturally, if I had had that attitude before writing the first 3 pages, this snippet would be better thought out, but I started under the pretense of Java programmers coming to Flash, and going, “You want me to implement WHAT!?”.
At any rate, hope it helps someone!
Look for the technical, and real article in the next issue of MXDJ which will show you, through a real example, how to take an insanely cool and complex design, and implement it without sacrificing your OOP code.
Read on…
what about deselopers?